Leyla McCalla: Swamp Music With Social Conscience

For the last decade, the string band known as The Carolina Chocolate Drops has been unique for a number of reasons, most notably as an all-black ensemble reinterpreting and expanding the musical legacy of the American South, augmenting the sounds with classical instruments or beatboxing as their whims have guided them, and winning a Grammy in the process. It's also been a launching pad for several excellent musicians, including Rhiannon Giddens, Dom Flemons — and the cellist Leyla McCalla. McCalla’s first solo record was a tribute to the poet Langston Hughes; she's now returned with a record called A Day for the Hunter, A Day for the Prey. Click the player above to hear a heady stew of songs from the Cajun, Creole, Haitian, and American folk realms.